Lakers to sign former first-round pick Malik Monk

The Lakers are poised to add another sharpshooter to their roster, having agreed to a deal with free-agent guard Malik Monk, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Monk, a former 11th overall pick, struggled in his first three NBA seasons, making just 32.2% of his three-point attempts and serving a drug-related suspension in 2020. However, he emerged as a reliable role player in 2020-21, averaging 11.7 PPG on .434/.401/.819 shooting in 42 games (20.9 MPG).

The Hornets opted not to tender Monk a $7M+ qualifying offer over the weekend, making him an unrestricted free agent and ensuring that a team like the Lakers can sign him outright without having to worry about an offer being matched.

After nearly acquiring Buddy Hield in a trade with Sacramento last week, the Lakers pivoted and agreed to acquire Russell Westbrook instead, creating a major need for shooting on the wing.

The team began to address that need by agreeing to minimum-salary deals with Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore and Trevor Ariza on day one of free agency. Monk will give the Lakers another option for spacing the floor around their stars.